Quick release control rod



sepu, 1948. J. MARTIN 2,328,988

Y QUIC'K RELEASE CONTROL ROD per fg '4f/@lie Patented Sept. V7, 1943 jspring -is f a Icoiled is the sleeve and E Bythis means the "sieste moremeyer@ j removal..4 If it. ,is ,required to'br'eak'thethe"sleeveis"ret`racted against the influence of i "part to becontrolled. i `released, the engine, bulkhead, control box and .i theypartof the control rods connected thereto vil 'This invntionireietesite' controls :son aircraft andifor analogous` purposes wherefit is'required toibo "able-. to: effectr a uniek:A separation. andicone"nectiorlffwhilstensuring as positiirevjointf free fromsloetmotiorrf:ora-Irland` Thefnventiori is particularly useful in:cormection1witl'npush-pull `pass irl-to bcxesforthrough bulkheds; panelsandi i framermembers, where isf frequently 4necessary mi enmendar orvtransverse aperte-resentido 1 i toregister to formaiheretnrouglrrwhich*is'paissedI a; lcoupling pin fitting l'the hole.`closely?.` This pini`i`E.formeel,Iviritlifalllielad#whichTalbot@"organist tli perimeterforsocketgandifislalsp circ-finiteren f;`

. loaded sleeve 'sliiableaxiallvzon the plug.' TheA fri-'g surroundingthe plug and interpcsedl bertwf` 4 an-` ifanrrular the spring and thepinis withdrawn, It is pre# "ferred to form a. bayonet joint slot inthe end`of the sleeve remote from the said locking pin and to engage in suchslot a pin projecting from the enlarged end of the plug so that thesleeve can be held in the retracted position whilst re- 1moving andreplacing the locking pin.V control rod engages, at one end with a levermounted on a shaft engaged in bearings-inA the wall of a control boxsupported by` the engine Theseshafts pass through the` wall Eachbulkhead. `of the control box and are suitably coupled to the .When thecoupling is' may be demounted as a unit without disturbing theadjustment ofthe controls.

. s g(llenas. (ol. 287;119)

drawing is' appended heretoillustrating an eine. bod-iment thereof,andwherein..

Y Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the joint: or coupling:appliedto a push-pull rod ofV a throttle or likecontrol 'of an.aircraft` engine. f

Fig.' 3 is a .plan view showingvthe joint` orf coupling elementsseparated. 'l

Referring to the drawing the two :rodvsectionsl toibo coupled comprise-amember l adapted/to' beiconnected by a head. la to afthrottlelever orthe like, anda memberZ extending 1to1 thief.`

throttle control lever or equivalent"` men'iber.` rlfhe rod section-lfiss adaptedfto pass `il'itofa throttle' control-box on an enginebulkhead so that when thefijoirit or coupling iswbroken theI rodsectionA tswill remainfintact withftlzie` appropriateA leverofthe-throttle: control and i can i be removedrwith the. bulkhead,whilst.' the'V rod section 2 willi-reeA main in. its normal positionreadfyifor re-'cori--" nectionrof the member I thereto. ".@The njointl'orxcouplingis' of such a nature asi'to ensurez`a;c"l curatereec'onnectiori and tciobviate `play-and lostmotiozrbetween the two rodsections.

The joint or coupling comprisesacylindricalf `socket tonftlie end offthe rodisection l remote.

In order that this invention may be clearly j understood land readilycarried into effect "a A the pin 6 against removal.

`from thegheadf'la, and a plug 5isliapedlLto-ntiA snuglyxinrthe socket4, thiss plug andi the sooketl #when-fully engagedy receiving alockin'gpin` Iil ES- diamet'rically through the inter-engaged plugfaridasocket, for whichpurpose the'socket hasfal pairjof opposed holesy't''andtlie plugla diarriete4 Lrically; disposed.' holeBfwhichfregisters with thei priate end of the rod section 2 as a plugiit and is secured by pins 9 or othersuitable means. AThis end of theplug is of larger diameter than the end which rits' into the socket 4and slidably supports a sleeve l0 which normally looks For this purposethe sleeve l0 is urged towards the free end of the plug 4 Aby a coiledcompression spring H inter-V posed between the annular shoulder 5a atthe junction of the wide and narrow parts of `ther plug and an annularrib lila projecting inwardly 4from the sleeve lo. ,This forward springprese sure on thefsleeve lil engages the leading end of the sleeve overa iiange 6a on a milled 'head 6b of the locking pin 6 so that thelocking pin is secured against removal. The end ofthe sleeve IIJ isformed with a recess lb to enable it` to engage further over the flange6a. i

In order to break the joint or coupling the sleeve I0 is retractedagainst the inuence of -the spring II to disengage the sleeve from theange 6a whereupon the pin 6 can be removed and the socket 4 pulled fromthe plug 5. To facilitate this operation and also to retain the sleeveI0 ready for a quick re-connection of the joint,

the inner or rear end of the sleeve is formed with a bayonet joint slotI2 in which engages a pin I3 fixed in the plug 5. When the joint is tobe broken, the sleeve is pressed back against the spring I I, until thecross end of the slot I2 comes in line with the pin I3. The sleeve isgivena slight twist to engage the cross end of the slot with the pin I3so as to hold thejsleevein the fully retracted position. `The lockingpin 6 can then be withdrawn and replaced. A slight twist will re-engageit in the locking position.

To ensure the locking pin being always accessi# t ble for re-connectingthe joint parts it is prefer- T Vably permanently anchored to theappropriate joint element by a wire I4, and to preventthe spring I Ifrom flying loose its inner end is sprung into a circumferential recessI5 in a ared inner endl I6 of the smaller diameter part of the plugV 5.

.. It will be apparent that by means of the press ent invention it isunnecessary to have to manipulate threaded members and joints which arenot conveniently accessible in order to make or break a joint in acontrol rod, this advantage being very useful in aircraft maintenance.Also it will be' evident that the breaking and re-connection of thejoint always ensures an accurate relationship of control rod andthrottle or other controlled member and that a positive and solidcoupling is effected. The pinv 6 being a close t :J

in the aperture 'l and 8 lis tapered at its entry end as atv 6c tofacilitate its insertion, this taper clearing the socket 4 When thejoint is completed so that it does` not prevent a` completely close iitof the locking pin in the said holes. The larger diameter or inner endof the plug 5..can if desired comprise part of the rod section 2 and thepin I3 can" be in the rod section 2. The nature of the joint enables anumber of control rods to be assembled in juxtaposition to each other,

without impeding'the operation of making and Y breaking each joint, thisbeing advantageous with Van aircraft engine control box or the like inwhich a number of closely related levers are mounted on separate shaftsin a shallow box projecting 'i member adapted to form one end of anotherrod or like section and adapted to receive the plug member as a closefit, a locking pin, apertures in .the plug member and socketed memberadapted to register to receive said pin, a sleeve encircling saidiplugmember, an abutment inside said sleeve and upon said plug member, acoiled compression if `spring interposed between said abutments, said ofthe sleeve will release it and the spring II sleeve extending at one endbeyond its said inlter'nal abutment to'engage said locking pin, andmeans at the other end of said sleeve to lock it in the `retractedposition.

2. A readily releasable coupling or joint for an engine or other controlrod for aircraft or the like. comprising a plug member adapted to formone end of a rod section or the like,v a socketed member adapted to formone end of another rod or like section and adapted to receive the plugmember as a close t, a locking pin, apertures in the plug member andsocketed member adapted to register to receive said pin, a lockingrecess in one end of said pin,v a sleeve encircling said plug member, anabutment inside said sleeve and upon said 'plug member, a coiledcompression spring interposed between said'abutments, said sleeveextending at one end beyond its VsaidV internal abutment to engage insaid recess in the locking pin, a bayonet joint slot in the other end ofsaid sleeve and a projection onsaid plug member to engage in said slotto .lock the sleeve in 'its re tracted' position. y

31A readily `releasable mechanical joint comprising, in combination,rods having ir'iterengagingends, an aperture inl each of said rods whichaperturesv are in registry when the rods are brought into interengagingrelationship, a removable locking pin adapted to be. .passed throughsaid apertures to-couple thevrods together, said pin havinga lockingrecess in one end thereof,

anelongated sleeve axially slidable over one of said rods, anaxiallykcompressiblespring engag'` ing said sleeve and one ofl said rodsand enclosed by said sleeve, and adapted to urge said sleeve to aposition overlying said apertures when in registry, whereby saidsleeveis adapted to be forced into the'locking recess of .the pin toprevent re` moval of said pin. n

' JAMES MARTIN.

